Circuit-breaker mechanism



' J an. 16, 1923. 1,442,349,

s. c. McKEOWN. CIRCUIT BREAKER MECHANISM.

FILED MAR. 3,1:919-

//V [/5 IV TOR jfiML/EL E ME KEC/NN am; a r/(5%? A TTORNEY Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL C. McKEOWN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO SPLITDORF ELECTRICAL COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

CIRCUIT-BREAKER MECHANISM.

Application filed March 3, 1919. Serial No. 280,448.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, SAMUEL C. MoKnowN, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Circuit Breaker h'lechanism, of which the following is a specification.

-My invention relates particularly to circuit breakers used in connection with ignition generators wherein it is essential. to vary the timing of the spark produced by the generator to conform with the speed of the engine on which the ignition generator is placed. In certain types of ignition genera.- tors the entire pole structure is rotatable through a certain angle to accomplish the timing of the spark. In other types of ignition generators the breaker box carrying cams which cooperate with the rotating part of the circuit breaker, is adjustable through certain angles for spark timing purposes. here the breaker members are relatively stationary and the operating cam rotates, considerable difficulty is encountered in constructing a breaker box which carries the breaker members so that it may be readily moved about the operating cam the required number of degrees for timing purposes. Where the breaker members are moved with the breaker box a flexible or slidingconnection is required at the point where the primary of the induction coil is brought out to the stationary contact.

lt is the object of my invention to provide a circuit breaker mechanism in which the rircuit breaker members are relatively stationary and in which there is no moving or sliding connection between the prmary wire and the stationary contact.

While a-ttainin the general object of my invention it is a turther object to provide a construction that is easy and cheap to manufacture and one that is not apt to get out of order in practice.

Other and further objects will be apparent to one skilled in the art after a study of the specification taken in connection with the drawing, in which- Figure 1 is an end view of a portion of an ignition generator showing the breaker mechanism in position.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of my breaker mechanism with the breaker box cover broken away to show the interior parts.

Figure is an end View similar to Figure 1 but with certain parts removed.

Figure 4. is a perspective view of that part of the breaker mechanism which has been removed to show the parts of Figure 3.

Referring now to the details wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts in the various views, 1 is the end plate iii an iii-,iiition generator on the operating shaft ol' which a cam 2 is mounted, being held inv place by the usual taper on the shaft and a screw 3 adapted to engage a threaded hole in the end of the shaft. Mounted on the plate 1 but insulated therefrom is a plate l carrying an adjustable contact 5. Connected to the plate 4 is one end of the primary winding 6, the other end of the primary winding being grounded to the framework of the generator in the well known manner. A movable member 7 carrying a. contact 8 is mounted so that the contact 8 cooperates with the contact 5 in the usual manner. One end 9 of the movable memher 7 extends in an arcuate form substantially parallel to the outer periphery of the cam 2. A controlling spring 10 is fastened to a part of the plate 1 in any suitable manner such as screw 11 which enters the boss 12. A boss 13 is provided on the other side of the shaft so that the spring 10 may be mounted thereon for the opposite direction of rotation, it being understood that the breaker parts are also designed so as to be turned over for opposite direction of rotation. A plate 14 having holes 15 is fastened to the plate 1 by screws 31. The plate 14- supports a carrier member 16 by means oi a suitable stud 1'7 coaxial with the axis of the cam and which passes through the mem ber 16 and has the end swedged over. Two parallel arms 18 extend from one face of the member 16 and between these arms is loosely positioned a roller member having a fiber body 19 with preferably metal ends 20. The arms 18 are so formed that the roller 19 may be readily dropped through from one side but it will not pass between the arms on the other side so when the plate 14 is in the position shown in Figure 1 the roller 19 is held in the position shown more clearly in Figures 3 and 4, in the latter of which the roller is removed from the carrier and is shown in its operative position. The metal end 20 is adapted to abut against the fiber plate 21 which for this purpose extended llti beyond the plate-4i so to produce the least amount of friction and thus allowing the roller 19 to turn readily between the arms 18 as the roller is engaged by the noses of the cam 2. The carrier 16 also has a lug 22 which for one direction of rotation operates in the segmental recess 23 in plate 1% and for the other direction of rotation adapted to operate in the cutway portion 2% thereby serving as a stop for the carrier member 16 and the operating lever that is connected to the stud 17 by any siiital'ile means such as a screw 26. The lever 25 is held in .posi tion by means oi: a screw 26 passing; through the lever and abreakerboi: cover 2 4' into the enlarged end of the sti'id 17, which enlarged end is on the opposite side otthe plate 14:, from the end of the stud showi'i in PQaire t. A. spring washer 28 as shown in l i jUiQ 2 provides a frictional contact between the cover 27 and the lever 25.

From the above description it will be readily seen that since the outer circumten ence of the cam, the arm 9 and the path "of movement of the roller 19 are all concentric,

the operation of the handle 25 to move the carrier 16 shifts the position of the roller 19 ciii'cumterentially about the lobe of the cam 2 so as to vary the time of operation of the movable breaker member 7. For example, it the direction of the rotation of the cam 2 be clockwise, Fig. 3, and the roller be shifted clockwise, the push transmitted to the arm 9 by the roller 19 will occur at a later angle in the rotation of the cam, thus retarding the spark, that is to say, the time of opening of the circuit breaker contacts. in order to stop the engine it is usual to ground the insulated end of the primary 6 and for this purpose I have provided a contact stud 29 insulated from the cover 2'? and having a spring connection 30 with the plate t there by allowing the grounding stud to be connected to the stud 29 in the usual manner.

it will be understood that various changes and alterations may be made in the details withoutdeparting from the spirit of my 'in- I vention and the scope oi the appei'idiul claims Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a circuit breaker mechanism, the combination ot a stationary member carrying a contact, a movable member carrying a cooperating contact, a cam, and an intermediate adjustable member adapted to be acted on by the cam for operating themovable member o 2.1n a circuit breaker mechanisn'i, the combination oil? a stationary member carrying a contact, a movable member carrying a cooperating contact, a cam, a member loosely positioned between one end otthe movable member and the cam and adapted to be acted on by the cam for operating the movable member and nieans or adjusting; the location oi? the loosely positioned member for the purpose described.

3. In a circuit breaker mechanism, the combination of a stationary nien'iber carrying a contact, a movable member carrying; a cooperating contact, a cam, an intermediate member positioned between one end of the movable member and. the cam and adapted to be acted on by the cam for operating the movable member, a carrier for the intermediate member and means for shifting the carrier 10 vary the time whenthe cam engages the intermediate member.

4:. In. a circuit breaker mechanism, the

combination of a stationary me: carrya contact, a movable ineinljier is a coo .iei.'ating contact, a min, an ii'itei'niediate member positioned between one end of the movable member and the cam and adapted to be acted on by the cam for operating the movable member, a carrier having arms between which said intermediate member is carried and a lever operatively attached to the carrier for shifting the position of the carrier and intermediate member with respect to the cam.

acarrier supported by the plate and having arms to support said roller and astop lug positioned within one 01: the notches on said plate and a lever for moving the carrier within the limits imposed by said last nieiitioiied notch and stop lug.

T. In a circuit breaker iiiechanisi'ii, the combination of a stationary member carrying a contact, a movable nien'iber carrying a cooperating contact, a cam, and an inde- .1

pendently movable member positioned adja cent the first mentionedmovable ii'ieinber and iii the path of movement of said cam whereby the action (it said cam transmitted through the independently movable member to the 'inovable member carrying said contact and means for adjusting the independently movable member relative to the first mentioned movable member for changing the time of separation of said contacts.

8. In a circuit breaker mechanism, the combination of a generator end plate, a fiber plate carried thereon, a stationary member fastened to the end plate but insulated therefrom and carrying an adjust-able contact, a

the cam and one end of the movable member 10 and adapted to operate the latter when acted on by the cam, a cover for all of said mechanism an d a lever outside the cover having connecting means through the cover with the carrier to shift its position with respect to 15 said cam.

In witness whereof, I afiix 1n si nature. SAMUEL o. M CKiIOWN. 

